Beets And Goat Cheese Pasta
Treat your taste buds to this healthy quick and easy Beets and Goat Cheese Pasta! It’s tender pasta tossed in a perfectly balanced simple sauce composed of roasted garlic, red beets, and onions all pureed together along with some creamy goat cheese. The dish is then finished with a bit more goat cheese, a sprinkle of rich pistachios, and some fresh basil!
Servings: 4
Calories: 514kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium red beets peeled and cut into small 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 head garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 ounces goat cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup vegetable broth heated
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 8 ounces pasta such as penne, uncooked
- ¼ cup pistachios crushed
- 3 fresh basil leaves sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the red beets and onion on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss well.
- Slice about 1/2" off the top of the head of garlic; enough to expose each clove. Place the head on a sheet of foil. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the head of garlic, then sprinkle the salt over top. Wrap the foil to cover the head of garlic completely. Place on the baking sheet.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook the pasta according to package instructions to al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Once the veggies are roasted, place the roasted beets and onion in a food processor. Squeeze the garlic cloves from the head into the food processor.
- Add 2 ounces of the goat cheese, remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, hot vegetable broth and honey to the pasta and process until smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. If the sauce is too thick add some of the reserved pasta water. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
- Combine the cooked pasta with the prepared sauce in a bowl and toss well to combine. Garnish with remaining goat cheese, crushed pistachios and fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Fork tender beets. Make sure the beets are fully cooked before attempting to make the sauce. You should be able to easily pierce them with a fork. If not, the sauce will not be smooth.
- Taste the sauce. Do not forget to taste your sauce after it’s made. This is when you want to add the final touches of salt and pepper. It’s much more difficult once the pasta is added.
- Toss and serve immediately. It’s important to combine the cooked pasta and sauce together when they are both hot and serve right away if possible. This helps to ensure that the pasta is evenly coated in sauce.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To reheat, just sprinkle the pasta with a bit of water to add some moisture, then cover it and pop it in the microwave on medium power for a few minutes. You can also reheat it in a pan on the stovetop if you prefer. However, I don’t suggest freezing the leftovers.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 699mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 3mg